WOMEN?S FASHION MAGAZINES IN JAPAN : Women vs. Women's Fashion Magazines in Relation to Self-image Creation and Consumption

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This study examines how Japanese women have been portrayed in women's fashion magazines and tests how women's fashion magazines have affected female readers? self-image creations and consumption behaviour. To this end, five copies magazines were selected for visual analysis to analyze the portrayals of Japanese women in the magazines from a gender perspective. In addition, interviews were conducted with female Japanese readers investigating the influence of the magazines on them. As media, the magazines provided an 'ideal female' image for their readers, and the magazines thus encouraged the readers to achieve this image by purchasing the advertised products. In doing so, the magazines could be 'instructions' for the female reader's self-image creations and consumption behaviour. The results of the visual analysis suggested that Japanese women in the magazines were still stereotypically depicted as submissive and Kawaii 'full-time housewives'. Nevertheless, this study concluded that the female readers themselves hold the power to decide whether to follow the magazines? instructions, ...